Monday, July 07, 2014

FCKC Drop Five on Sky Blue

From FC Kansas City

FC Kansas City (10-4-3 33 pts) won a big road game tonight
against Sky Blue FC (3-7-7 16 pts). The Blues shut out the New Jersey club 5-0
on Yurcak Field in front of 1,349 fans. Second place Kansas City had four goal
scorers throughout the night: Erika Tymrak, Sarah Hagen, Lauren Holiday and Amy
Rodriguez. Hagen started her first match with FC Kansas City and tallied a
brace.

The match started out with a bang when Tymrak put the Blues
on the board in the second minute. Leigh Ann Robinson received the ball out
wide, after beating her defender she sent it in to the box. After some bouncing
around, Tymrak got a foot on the ball and knocked it in.

FC Kansas City controlled the ball all over the field and just
minutes later scored again. Holiday stepped up to take a corner and it bounced
off of goalkeeper Brittany Cameron for another Kansas City corner. The second
kick curved perfectly to sail over the goal line and hit the side net.
Holiday’s seventh goal of the season put the Blues up 2-0 in the opening ten
minutes.

The third goal of the first half came from Hagen in the 20th
minute. Tymrak sent a long ball up to the newest FC Kansas City member. Hagen
brought the ball down to her feet and sent it past Cameron who was playing up
off of the goal line. The goal was Hagen’s first in her National Women’s Soccer
League career.

Hagen scored again in the 42nd minute of the
match on a counter attack. Holiday took a shot that just bounced off the post.
Cameron dove for Holiday’s shot leaving the net open for Hagen to head the
rebound in. FC Kansas City went to the locker rooms up 4-0.

The Blues’ best half of the season could be contributed to a
formation change for this match. Hagen started up at the front with Rodriguez,
distributing attacking pressure between the two. There was also a large
cheering section for the Blues at the game tonight. Defender Nikki Phillips,
goalkeepers Nicole Barnhart and Sara Keane had a total of around 100 family members in
attendance.

Sky Blue FC came out from the short break ready to defend
and fight back. The New Jersey club found 10 shots with 4 on target in the
second half. The first 45 minutes were clearly controlled by FC Kansas City,
but the last 45 saw an aggressive Sky Blue FC.

The Blues were still hungry for more goals throughout the
second half. Close shots came from all over the Kansas City roster including
the goal scorers. Head coach Vlatko Andonovski brought in three substitutes to
build up the defense. June’s Player of the Month, Barnhart, did her new
title proud with beautiful saves, especially in the second half.

The 4-0 score stuck late in to the second half and looked to
remain there until the final minute of the match. Liz Bogus received a pass on
the outside and found Rodriguez in the middle at the top of the box. Bogus sent
it over and Rodriguez took a shot. The ball went past Cameron’s hands and to
the back of the net. FC Kansas City made it 5-0 as the match closed out.